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| Photo courtesy of Dr. Francis Lestingi |
By
Jim Hingst
What most people love about
mahogany furniture is the traditional deep red finish. Woodworkers have come up
with a number of good ways finish mahogany. The simplest way is to just to
stain the wood and varnish it. For staining the wood, many craftsmen select a
penetrating oil-based stain. Two of the most popular oil stains that
woodworkers select for mahogany are a dark brown mahogany or a Merlot color.
As an alternative to
staining and varnishing, a more involved technique includes dyeing the wood,
sealing it, filling the grain and varnishing it. Using aniline dyes was a
popular method of coloring wood during the 19th century. Here are
the steps that you need to follow:
● Before dyeing the wood,
you need to sand it starting with 120 grit and working through the grits
finishing with 220 grit. You can start sanding your project with power sander.
However, complete the job sanding by hand using a sanding block. Always
maintain even pressure and sand with the grain. After sanding, you need to
brush off the dust and then wipe it down with a clean rag moistened with
mineral spirits.
● The next step is to dye
the wood. This is different than staining the wood. Stains often are comprised
of pigment, solvent and a small amount of binder. The larger pigment particles
are not soluble and will lodge in the grain of the wood, but will not penetrate
the wood to the degree that a dye will. Because the stain pigment collects in
the pores of the wood, the grain will be more evident.
Dyes, on the other hand, are
soluble colorants that can dissolve in water, alcohol or mineral spirits. During
the Industrial Revolution, chemists began developing the synthetic aniline dyes,
which were initially used in the textile industry. What is unique about a dye
is that it absorbs deeply into the wood.
Because dyes are comprised
of very small, transparent particles, they penetrate the wood more evenly for a
more uniform color than you can accomplish when using a stain. Although dyes let
the beauty of the wood show through, you typically do not see the contrast that
stains produce. That can be either a
good or bad thing depending on the result that you wish to attain. Much of
which product you decide to do is a matter of taste.
Another reason that many
woodworkers like dyes for coloring wood is that you can coat the wood many
times with different colors of dye. For example, in coloring mahogany, you may
choose to coat the wood with browns and reds to create the dark red color than
many associate with this wood.
In addition to multiple
coatings of different colors, you can also mix two or more dyes to create your
own color. You can also do the same with different colors of stain.
You can buy dyes in many
different forms. Some of the most popular products are dye powders.
There are different types of powders on the market. Some are soluble in
water, while others are soluble in alcohol or oil. Dyes are also available as
ready mixed liquids or as concentrates. Many of the liquid waterborne dyes are
sold as Non Grain Raising or NGR.
Many woodworkers like
working with waterborne dyes. These colorants typically do not have a binder,
so if the you want to lighten up the color of a dye after it is applied to
wood, all you have to do is spray the surface with water and wipe off some of
the dye with a rag.
Many of the pre-mixed waterborne
dyes contain glycol ether which is a solvent. The addition of glycol ether
makes the dye compatible with a wide range of other products that you can use
to finish mahogany.
Prior to using a waterborne
dye, you should pre-raise the grain. What that means is that you should moisten
the surface of the, spraying it with distilled water and wiping off the excess.
The fibers of the wood will absorb the water and swell. As the water dries, which
should take about an hour, the surface of the wood will feel rough because the
wood fibers have deformed on the surface. To smooth the rough surface, sand it
with 320 grit sandpaper.
There are many different
ways to apply dyes. Many will flood the surface of the wood with either a foam brush
or a rag. Any excess is wiped off with a rag in the direction of the grain. For
an even application of the dye and a uniform color, the best way to apply dyes is to spray it, if you have
the equipment.
In dyeing the wood, it is
best to test the dye on some scraps to see the result before using it on your
project. This way you can avoid any horrifying surprises. I learned this lesson
the hard way. After devoting hours and hours to carving and sanding a project,
I dyed the piece with an aniline dye without any testing. The resulting red was
shocking. To camouflage the hideous color, I applied a gel stain. The lesson
that I learned was to: Test, Don’t Guess. This rule holds true whenever you are
trying a new product or combining two products.
It is also a good practice
to record the materials and processes that you use when working on any project.
That way you are able to reproduce your results if the need arises.
● When using a dye, make
sure that it is dry before you apply Zinsser SealCoat. Zinsser SealCoat is a
clear dewaxed shellac product. You can
use it with all types of wood including mahogany. You can also use it with
woods such as pine, cherry and maple, which may not take stains evenly.
What’s nice about Zinsser
SealCoat is that it dries fast, so you can usually sand the sealed wood in less
than an hour after application. Another feature of shellac based products is
that you can clean up your brushes using either alcohol or ammonia and water.
After the Zinsser SealCoat
dries, very lightly sand the surface to knock down any nibs on the surface. On a flat piece of wood
you can also use 0000 steel wool. I do not recommend using steel wool on a
carving because too much of residual pieces from the pad gets into to the
crevices. These can be difficult to clean up. After you have finished scuffing
the surface, clean it with a dry rag.
● After sealing the wood, you need to fill the pores in order to achieve
a glossy finish. Mahogany is an open grained wood. The pores of these types of
woods are relatively large. Even if after applying a couple of coats of varnish,
the pores will most likely still be noticeable.
To fill these pores you should use a product such as Old Masters
Woodgrain Filler.
Filling the grain is
essential if you want to achieve a nice smooth glossy finish. Prior to applying
Old Masters Woodgrain Filler you can tint it with an oil-based stain or with
Ronan Japan paint. Generally, two parts of Old Masters Woodgrain Filler are
mixed with one part of stain. By
darkening the woodgrain filler, you accentuate the grain, which adds some
character to the wood.
To apply the Old Masters
Woodgrain Filler use a cloth pad, and with a circular motion work it into the
grain of the mahogany for a few minutes. After application, wait ten to fifteen
minutes before removing the excess with a cloth rag or a soft plastic squeegee,
wiping across the grain.
After applying the Old
Masters Woodgrain Filler, allow it to dry for at least four hours. Then sand
the surface with 220-grit sandpaper. If the grain is not sufficiently filled,
repeat the procedure until you are satisfied with the results. In some cases,
you may need to apply as many as three coats of the woodgrain filler.
● At this point you can
leave the project as is and finish the project with varnish. However, if the
wood is not dark enough for your liking, you may want to apply an additional
coat of stain.
● After the grain is filled,
it is time to varnish the piece. One of the best choices for a finish is Minwax
polyurethane. This varnish provides great protection for a project. When you
apply a polyurethane finish do not use a throwaway foam brush. The reason is
that foam brushes have pores that create bubbles.
Instead you should use a good
bristle brush. In applying Minwax polyurethane varnish, brush the finish in the
direction of the grain. In applying the varnish, the final strokes of the brush
should lightly burst any bubbles on the surface. After the first coat, wait 8
hours for it to dry. After lightly sanding the first coat with 220 grit
sandpaper and wiping off any sanding dust, apply a second coat of polyurethane
varnish.
Conclusion
What I have described is
just one of many different ways to finish mahogany. There are other products
and techniques that people use in finishing. There is only one way to discover
which process will suit your needs. You need to do a little experimenting on
your own and decide for yourself.
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About Jim Hingst: Sign business authority on vehicle wraps, vinyl graphics, screen printing, marketing, sales, gold leaf, woodcarving and painting.
After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 500 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published. Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon.
© Jim Hingst 2018
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